Everything Old and New
by Merciless Past
Summary: "Well I suppose you'll be needing that spare room. It's full of old rubbish, it could take me a day to clean it out." (Parent!Lock AU, no pairings, Second in the Hereditary Genius Series)


**Story: Everything Old and New **

**Series: Hereditary Genius **

**Author: Merciless Past **

******Characters/Pairings: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Adalane Holmes (OFC), Mrs Hudson, Mycroft Holmes (mentioned). **

******Genre: Family, Friendship, Parent!Lock **

**Rating: K+**

**Summary:"Well I suppose you'll be needing that spare room. It's full of old rubbish, it could take me a day to clean it out." Parent!Lock AU**

**Notes: Adalane meets Mrs Hudson and Sherlock is an awkward bunny around his kid. It's just starting to kick off and I promise it'll start getting more interesting soon. To understand this fic you might have to go back and read the previous story, Left on the Doorstep. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock or any of the characters in this story except Adalane.**

* * *

On Adalane's first morning in Baker Street she woke up in her father's bed and he was missing from the room. She sat up and looked around, it was a rather fitting room for Sherlock; sparsely furnished with just the essentials and a periodic table pinned to the wall. Painstakingly neat apart from the blue dressing gown hanging carelessly off the edge of the bed. She wriggled out from under the covers and grabbed the dressing gown, wrapping it around herself and padding into the kitchen. She slipped into the room just in time to hear Sherlock say; "Honey. She likes honey. And yogurt."

"What about honey and yogurt together?"

"I like that too," she said quietly.

Sherlock didn't bother turning to look at her but John looked up and smiled warmly.

"Morning Ada," he grinned at the little girl, Sherlock noticed out of the corner of his eye that her brow crinkled slightly at the nickname. "Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Mostly." Adalane pulled herself up into the seat next to her father who was eating his toast and reading the paper.

"You're wearing my dressing gown," he observed quietly, turning the page.

"Thank you, Dr Obvious," she smirked.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at the seven year old. "Don't you have your own?"

Adalane scrunched her nose up. "It's pink and fluffy with even darker pink rabbits on it. The rabbits aren't even anatomically correct. And I am sure that real rabbits do not wear bow ties."

Sherlock wrinkled his nose in distaste and John laughed at how much they looked like each other. Adalane had her father's dark curls but they were a lot longer and messier, the same cupid's bow lips and the unusual kaleidoscope irises that were born out of a genetic mutation, a very pretty mutation at that. Adalane's eyes were slightly rounder and her face was softer because of her youth. She had clearly inherited her button like nose from her mother.

John placed the pot of yogurt in front of the little girl. "Here, I got it from Mrs Hudson."

"Thank you."

She was spooning the Greek yogurt into her mouth when the aforementioned landlady knocked lightly on the open door.

"Yoo hoo," she smiled sweetly and ducked into the kitchen. Her eyes were immediately drawn to Adalane and when the little girl saw her eyes widen fractionally she correctly deduced that on his mission for the yogurt John hadn't told Mrs Hudson about the little girl in 221b. "Hello, love," Mrs Hudson smiled at her warmly, if a little nervously. "Is she part of a case Sherlock?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes again. "No she isn't Mrs Hudson."

"Dear Lord you haven't kidnapped her have you?!" Mrs Hudson exclaimed and Sherlock snorted while John tried to stifle his laughter.

"If you keep rolling your eyes dad, they'll stick," Adalane shot her father a look which could really only be described as sardonic. "That's what mother always used to say to me."

Sherlock chose to ignore the stunned Mrs Hudson in favour of replying to his daughter. "I don't believe your mother was a physician was she? It isn't possible for your eyes to stick in place due to excessive rolling. Isn't that right John?"

"Oh I'm staying out of this one," John choked on his laughter.

"Wouldn't it be _hilarious_ if you proved yourself wrong by going cross eyed?" Adalane smirked mockingly and her father scoffed again.

"Don't be silly Adalane," he muttered, reaching across the table to check his phone messages. "You're far too smart for that."

"Oh dear," Mrs Hudson brought her hand to her chest and sighed heavily. "Um, will you be staying with us Adalane?"

The dark haired little girl nodded. "My mother ran off to Brazil to get married and left me here with dad."

"Well I suppose you'll be needing that spare room," she said absently. "It's full of old rubbish, it could take me a day to clean it out."

"I'll help," offered John.

"I will too," Adalane smiled at the landlady. "And thank you for the yogurt."

Before Mrs Hudson could respond Sherlock stood up suddenly and swept past Adalane into the living room to grab his jacket. "Afraid you'll have to get on without me."

"Oh how will we manage?" John rolled his eyes.

"Lestrade just texted, he has a case," Sherlock wrapped his scarf around his neck and looked at his flatmate. "Coming John?"

"I'll pass this time thanks," John glared at him. "I'm going to spend my day getting your daughter's bedroom sorted out. I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you stayed and helped."

"She doesn't mind," the detective strode towards them and lightly patted Adalane's shoulder. "Do you Adalane?"

The little girl shook her head and looked down at the remains of her breakfast. "Not at all."

"Fine," Sherlock flashed one of his brief smiles and headed to the door.

"Goodbye Dad," she called softly just before the front door closed.

John and Mrs Hudson both missed the sad expression that crossed over the little girl's face for a fraction of a second before she returned to her usual neutral expression.

Mrs Hudson turned her attention back to the little girl and smiled happily. "Right, let's get you dressed and then we can sort out your new room, shall we?"

* * *

After Adalane had changed into a dark blue and white layered top and jeans and had quickly run a brush through her erratic curls she joined Mrs Hudson and John in the room next door to her father's. There was a small corridor beside the fridge which led to the two rooms. The door to what would be Adalane's room came first in the dimly lit passage and Mrs Hudson had just used it for storage before. When they had opened the door a mop had fallen out and smacked John in the head; which made John wince, Mrs Hudson fuss, and Adalane stifle her giggles. A little while later they had managed to clear all the boxes and Mrs Hudson had called an old friend to help take the rubbish up to the dump. While John was taking the boxes downstairs Adalane lifted an old box from on top of an even older table and the photo album sitting at the top caught her keen attention. It was covered with an old muddy red leathery material with a gold border and gold lettering imprinted on the leather. Adalane carefully set the box down on the floor and rested on her knees. She lifted the photo album off the top and tentatively turned to the first page.

"Right that's that sorted- Oh! You found that old album," Mrs Hudson smiled and looked over Adalane's shoulder at the photos. "Recognise anyone?"

"Yes, it is quite obviously my father and his brother and presumably my grandparents," Adalane intoned softly.

Mrs Hudson chuckled as she looked down at the girl's down turned, curly head. "So like your dad, you are. I knew him when he was just your age. He liked my scones an awful lot back then. He still enjoys them, when I make them that is and when he's eating. Never eats on a case that man!" she shook her head and wandered back out to meet John in the hall.

The two stood outside the doorway and watched the little girl examining the photos of her father when he was younger. He looked an awful lot like she did and in the few photos where he hadn't been ordered to smile (as was obvious by just how insincere his smiles looked in some of the pictures) he looked sulky and thoroughly bored with the whole affair. Mrs Hudson bit her lip and looked at John who was looking at the girl with a slightly worried expression.

"Sherlock should be here," he murmured. "Why isn't he here? She's his daughter for Christ's sake. She only got here yesterday and he's already left her alone with two perfect strangers!"

"He's Sherlock," Mrs Hudson said quietly. "He'll have his reasons. And she seems all right. A little quiet but not unhappy."

John sighed before painting a smile on his face and moving deeper into the room. "Not much left to go, eh Ada?"

She looked up at him and her brow furrowed ever so slightly. "Why do you call me that, doctor?"

"What, 'Ada'?" She nodded. "It's a nickname, you know a shortened version of your name."

"I know what a nickname is," she said with a note of irritated confusion in her voice. "Why have you given me one?"

John stopped to consider his answer. The truth was that he didn't really know. He had just started calling her Ada; out loud and in his head. "It's just something people do when they're fond of someone, it's like a little show of affection."

She blinked slowly. "You have known me for less than a day doctor."

"Well yes, but you seem like a nice little girl," he smiled at her. "And you don't have to call me 'doctor all the time. John is fine. Or Uncle John if you prefer."

The corner of her mouth ticked up into a smirk. She linked her fingers together in front of her and twisted her body from side to side with a plaintive look on her face. "Uncle John, can I have a biscuit?" She drawled in a voice that seemed much more suited to her body than her own speech pattern.

John laughed and pointed at her playfully. "That's creepy!"

"Not me is it?" she smirked a little and John was reminded again just how much like Sherlock she was. "But I wasn't joking about that biscuit. Please?"

He laughed and ruffled her dark curls affectionately. "Come on. I bet Mrs Hudson has some hidden away."

* * *

The case had been easy to solve, mediocre at best really. It had become clear that it was the victim's brother almost immediately and then there had been the small matter of proving it. By early in the afternoon the case was wrapped up and Sherlock was looking for a taxi. It was as he walked down the street, glancing in the windows of the different shops briefly, that he noticed it.

A bed shop.

Seeing it triggered the memory from this morning of John and Mrs Hudson saying that they planned to clear out the room next to his for Adalane to have. The room was filled with Mrs Hudson's rubbish and some boxes that Sherlock and John hadn't unpacked yet. He knew that there wasn't a bed in there, or anywhere else in Baker Street. Adalane would need a bed to sleep on.

Not quite knowing what compelled him to do so he walked into the bed shop and glanced over all the beds. He told himself that he was doing this so that John would not drag him out to get a bed and potentially disturb a case at a later date.

"Can I help you sir?" the young man with the shop logo on his shirt smiled warmly up at Sherlock.

"Yes, I'd like to buy a bed," Sherlock said, slightly unsure of himself. "It's for a young girl. My daughter."

"Well we have some lovely children's beds," suggested the young man gesturing to some white bed bases with pink sheets and fairies painted onto the wood. Sherlock smirked when he remembered how disgusted Adalane had been by her dressing gown.

"I don't think those are to her tastes. Something simpler perhaps?"

* * *

When Sherlock got back to Baker Street Mrs Hudson was in her flat after taking some of her herbal soothers and John had gone out to buy more milk. Adalane was obviously in her new room so Sherlock walked silently through the kitchen and opened the door to her new bedroom. Adalane was sitting cross legged on the floor with an old photo album in her lap. She didn't look up when he opened the door and she didn't even notice he was there until he crouched down next to her. Her head jerked up and her eyes widened almost comically when she finally noticed his presence.

"Hello," she said haltingly. "Solved the case I see."

"Yes," he smirked a little. "Obvious really. Any idiot could tell from a glance that it was the sister who murdered him because he threatened to disinherit her when he found out that she was sleeping with a drug addicted cellist."

Adalane giggled a little. "A female drug addicted cellist."

"Clever girl."

Adalane rolled her eyes. "People are so small minded. It's pathetic really. And moronic."

He made a noise of agreement before changing the subject. "Where did you find that?"

Adalane glanced down at the album. "It was in a box that I found in here. I assumed it was yours."

"Never assume Adalane," he said distractedly before picking up the album. "I would never keep hold of something like this. Sentiment. It's obviously Mrs Hudson's. She was a friend of your grandmother's and has known my family since I was a child."

Adalane bit her lip. "She said I could look through it. I look an awful lot like you did when you were my age."

"That's how genetics work Adalane, I am your father," he scoffed slightly when he came across a picture of Mycroft with his arm around his younger brother. "This is not important. Once I finished the case I came across a bed shop in town and I knew you would need a bed. I persuaded two of the men from the sandwich shop downstairs to bring it up for you."

Adalane blinked at him. "Thank you. You didn't need to do that."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "As I said earlier Adalane, I am your father and it is my job through some ancient social convention to take care of you. You needed something to sleep on."

She gave him a small smile and if Sherlock had really been looking it would have seemed a little sad. "Well thank you for having the XY chromosomes involved in making me."

Sherlock's brow furrowed. "You're being sarcastic. You're too young to be sarcastic."

Adalane grinned. "You're never too young to be sarcastic."

"Huh," Sherlock bit his lip on a smile and swished from the room in a flurry of coattails. "They'll be bringing it up now. Better decide where to put it!"

Adalane gazed after him for a moment before a wide smile spread across her face and she jumped in the air and clapped her hands together happily.


End file.
